The 2nd Hole at Galen Hall (Findlay), Wernersville, PA

[Kyle Harris]

I had started a thread on Galen Hall, and realized that a good amount of content was being generated by the 2nd hole by itself. Content worth of a thread.

With photos from Prof. Joe Bausch:

Few are the truly unique holes in the world. This is one of them. It is extremely likely that the golfer facing the 2nd hole at Galen Hall will face:

A shot never conceived by that golfer before
The possibility of Eagle or Double Par hanging on the success/decision of the 2nd shot
Aiming almost 45 degrees away from the flag on the second or even third shots.

A completely blind tee shot over the crest of the mountain stands before the golfer on the tee, with a guide flag and a bunker a little too far right (seemingly) of the intended line of play. The bunker should be heeded, not for the hazard it presents, but for the suggestion of going right. There's room left, a little too much perhaps. Surely, the straight line to the flag wouldn't go unguarded...



We reach the top of the hill and...

What.
The.
Heck?












Thoughts?

[Dave Maberry]

Kyle,
 I remember this as a truly strange(at one time I don't think there was a guide flag!) and unusual par 5(Blind!), although it has been a few years. If the correct line is chosen off tee the green is certainly reachable in 2. If your tee shot is not aligned lost balls and a large number are a real possibility.
 Here's a link to Club's tips:
http://www.galenhallcc.com/course_overview.html#hole2
Dave

[Mike_Cirba]

Dave,

It's great that the course has such wonderrful historical information on its website!   Thanks for pointing that out.

Kyle,

The liner notes point out that it's a 100 foot drop from the top of the hill to the green.   How much of an elevation change do you think it is from the tee to the top of the hill?   Is it as much as the old 6th at Cobbs....85 or so feet?   I think it looks more like about 60 but was wondering your impression?


By the way, this is indeed one of the most unusual and unforgettable holes I've ever played and it's really a fun, rollicking, roller-coaster.

[Dan Herrmann]

What was Tillie's involvement at Galen Hall?

I'll answer my own question from the GH websie:
A.W. Tillinghast added his unmistakable touch to the course, with the 15th hole, also known as the "Moat Hole". The course and Hotel were a mecca for celebrities during this era. Frank Sinatra and Milton Berle stayed at the hotel and the golf course drew names like Fred and Adele Astaire who once went out as a foursome with then pro Bob Middleton and his assistant Henry Moyer in 1927. The hotel was a popular place for conventions. Galen Hall well known for its beautiful and tricky golf course as well as for its conventions held in the spring and fall. One of the first conventions which attracted considerable notice over the entire country was held in 1915 by the moving picture industry. Wernersville was over run with reporters. Some of those attending the convention were the motion picture stars Pearl White, Mabel Normand, Marguerite Clark, Francis X. Bushman, John Bunny, "Fatty" Arbuckle and Mary Pickford. But again as time went on and the invention of the automobile provided the American public with more mobility and less reliance on rail lines, the fortunes of places like Grand View, Walter's Park and Galen Hall began to decline.

[Dave Maberry]

Dan,
From website and "Architects of Golf", it looks like 9 by Findlay? in 1910 with additions/renovations by Tillie(1917) and the Gordons(1955)
Dave

[Kyle Harris]

Mike,

That drop off is way more than anything at Cobb's Creek. It's 100 feet over the course of 150 yards, but I'd say the hole drops almost 200 feet from the guide flag to the green. Remember, Joe's picture from behind the green only shows the last part of the slope.

[Mike_Cirba]

Kyle,

I'm asking about the elevation change on the tee shot...not to the green.

Thanks!

[Kyle Harris]

Kyle,

I'm asking about the elevation change on the tee shot...not to the green.

Thanks!

Oooooh. I hadn't given that much thought but I certainly believe it's close. I think Cobb's Creek is a bit more steep though.

Are you thinking FIELD TRIP? I could be up for another round on Sunday.

[Ronald Montesano]

Interesting that Scott Witter has a mildly similar hole at Ironwood, mildly southeast of Buffalo, NY.  The par five plays as a double-dogleg if you play it as it is laid out.  The tee shot is downhill and plays to the first corner, but you can aim right and end up partway up the second portion of the fairway.  The green is blind to the second shot and sits below a stand of trees on the left.  Unlike this hole, Scott allows a redan-like effect as shots played in from the right will bound to the left, ending up near the green.  It is the 16th hole and this new course is one of the most enjoyable in western New York.

[astavrides]

In Joe Logan's review from 2002, the pro at the course calls this hole 'the worst hole in Berks County'.  That's a hell of a marketing job he's doing for his course, although I suppose it might evoke curiosity in some people.  I still haven't made it out to the course to see it for myself.

[Kyle Harris]

It's only a bad hole if people come in with some rigid expectations.

You absolutely have to be able to get comfortable hitting 2-iron, 6-iron, and Wedge way out to the right on the first two shots to get a look at the green OR be able to hit 200 yards out to the right and deal with aiming down the OB left to reach the green in two. There is a lot of mental distraction to filter out, but once the golfer does - he will find success on the hole most every time.